Interview for Med Surg soon any tips or guidance?

[Maddogg]

So I have an interview soon for a med surg position at valley hospital in Vegas and I'm not looking for tips on the interview but any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I just know more about the speciality. 
 

So I've been trying to look for a hospital job in Vegas but it's been extremely hard and I keep getting rejected by every hospital in every speciality from ICU to med surg to IMC to OR, it's been very difficult. Right now I am working at a SNF (subacute to long term care) and I started working there as a new grad which really sucked cause I only got 3 days of orientation and was on my own. I've been there for 7 months and feel like I don't know anything still like I did pick up some skills and some experience working with g-tubes, vents/trachs (although that's mostly RTs but I do have them as patients), and some other medically complex patients like encephalopathy, cirrhosis, diabetes, addiction, some behaviors, etc but I have like about 20+ patients that I have to take care so a lot of it is just passing medication and not really understanding each condition just doing routine medications and monitoring for any abnormal signs. 

Anyway, so I've been trying to get out of there and work at a hospital so I can build up my skills and experience as a nurse as well as learn more about the conditions and what to do in certain situations (sometimes I feel lost in the SNF and always have to ask the charge nurse or another nurse on what to do). I finally got an interview in med surg but I've been hearing bad stuff about it and I'm pretty nervous about starting if I do get the job. Is it worth the stress working there? Should I try to find something else? It seems like no where is hiring besides SNFs and psych hospitals without acute care experience. All the specialities hate me :(. Or should I just do a year of SNF and try to get something else? I don't think I would feel as prepared going a year in SNF than I would 6 months in a hospital. Any advice or tips about it would be great! I know I wouldn't want to be in med surg long term but I would just want the experience and better my skills as a nurse. Please halp!!

[Lynker, ASN, LPN]

I think going to med surg would be a good idea. LTC is a specialty in itself, it was my first job as an LPN. My first RN job will be on a medical (surgical) floor and I'm taking a pay cut to go work at the hospital. But the experience helps, and it will get you closer to other specialties that require 6-12 months of experience in med/surg / hospital.

Just my thoughts. 🙂

[caffeinatednurse, BSN, RN]

Med-surg gets a bad reputation overall. You'll find plenty of nurses out there who will say how terrible it is and how they would never work it, but the fact of the matter is that med-surg will provide you with the time management, critical thinking, and prioritization skills that are necessary for any specialty. If you can take care of 6 acutely ill patients with a variety of medical issues and needs, you can definitely transition to ICU or ER or any other specialty later on.

Also, at this point I think it's important to take an opportunity where you can find one. If you're able to land this med-surg job, I would definitely take it. Especially given how competitive the job market is in your area. It will help prepare you for better opportunities down the road while also giving you the necessary acute care experience you need to land those jobs.

Best of luck.